Method, network device, and systems for requesting, scanning, and receiving a document as an image file via a cloud

ABSTRACT

A network device including a controller, a transmitter and a receiver. The controller is configured to generate a first request that initiates, via a cloud, scanning of a document via a scanner. The cloud includes a service device, and a document device that is separate from the document device. The transmitter is configured to, prior to the scanner scanning the document, transmit the first request from the network device to the service device. The receiver is configured to, based on the first request received at the service device and subsequent to the scanner scanning the document, receive an image file transmitted from the document device to the network device without prior transmission of the image file from the document device to the service device. The image file includes an image of the document.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present disclosure is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/249,786 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,730,504), filed on Sep. 30, 2011.This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/405,058, filed on Oct. 20, 2010. The entire disclosures of theapplications referenced above are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of acquisition ofelectronic images of documents, photos, and the like. More particularly,the present disclosure relates to acquisition of such images using cloudservices.

BACKGROUND

Many new computing paradigms rely on cloud computing, that is, usingon-demand computer resources and services that are provided over acomputer network rather than by a locally-connected device. Cloudservices can be completely offsite, or in some cases, can be provided bylocal computing or peripheral devices.

Solutions have been devised for cloud-based file storage, documentcreation and editing, application execution, and even printing. However,cloud-based services have not yet been extended to the field of imageacquisition, for example for scanning documents, photos, and the like.

SUMMARY

A network device is provided and includes a controller, a transmitter,and a receiver. The controller is configured to generate a firstrequest. The first request initiates, via a cloud, scanning of adocument via a scanner. The cloud comprises a service device and adocument device. The service device is separate from the documentdevice. The transmitter is configured to, prior to the scanner scanningthe document, transmit the first request from the network device to theservice device. The receiver is configured to, based on the firstrequest received at the service device and subsequent to the scannerscanning the document, receive an image file transmitted from thedocument device to the network device without prior transmission of theimage file from the document device to the service device, wherein theimage file includes an image of the document.

A method for receiving an image file from a cloud at a network device isprovided. The cloud includes a service device and a document device. Theservice device is separate from the document device. The methodincludes: generating a first request at the network device, where thefirst request initiates, via the cloud, scanning of a document via ascanner; prior to the scanner scanning the document, transmitting, via atransmitter, the first request from the network device to the servicedevice; and based on the first request received at the service deviceand subsequent to the scanner scanning the document, receiving, via areceiver, the image file transmitted from the document device to thenetwork device without prior transmission of the image file from thedocument device to the service device. The image file includes an imageof the document.

A system is provided and includes a service device and a documentdevice. The service device is implemented in a cloud. The service deviceis configured to receive a first request from a network device. Thefirst request initiates, via the cloud, scanning of a document via ascanner. The service device is configured to receive the first requestprior to the scanner scanning the document. The document deviceimplemented in the cloud. The document device is separate from theservice device. The document device is configured to, based on the firstrequest received at the service device, (i) receive an image filegenerated as a result of the scanner scanning the document, and (ii)transmit the image file to the network device without previouslytransmitting the image file to the service device. The image fileincludes an image of the document.

In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features an apparatusincluding: a controller configured to generate a cloud scan request,where the cloud scan request represents a request to scan a documentusing cloud services; a transmitter configured to transmit the cloudscan request to a cloud print service; and a receiver configured toreceive an image file from a cloud document service, where the fileincludes an image of the document.

In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features a method including:generating a cloud scan request responsive to a user request, where thecloud scan request represents a request to scan a document using cloudservices; transmitting the cloud scan request to a cloud print service;and receiving an image file from a cloud document service, where theimage file includes an image of the document.

In general, in one aspect, an embodiment features computer-readablemedia embodying instructions executable by a computer to performfunctions including: generating a cloud scan request responsive to auser request, where the cloud scan request represents a request to scana document using cloud services; transmitting the cloud scan request toa cloud print service; and receiving an image file from a cloud documentservice, where the image file includes a scan of the document.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will beapparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows elements of a cloud scanning system that includes a networkscanner according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows elements of a user device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows elements of a cloud scan request according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 4 shows detail of an image file according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows elements of a file request according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a process for the cloud scanning system of FIG. 1 accordingto one embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows elements of a cloud scanning system that includes a legacyscanner and print proxy according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a process for the cloud scanning system of FIG. 7 accordingto one embodiment.

The leading digit(s) of each reference numeral used in thisspecification indicates the number of the drawing in which the referencenumeral first appears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide cloud scanning, that is,the utilization of cloud services to facilitate acquisition of anelectronic image of a document. As used herein, the term “document” isused to refer to any item that can be scanned by a scanner. Cloudscanning allows scanning from any resource connected to the cloud,including local resources such as a local office scanner, as well asremote resources such as a user's home scanner while the user istraveling on another continent.

FIG. 1 shows elements of a cloud scanning system 100 that includes anetwork scanner according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, cloudscanning system 100 includes a user device 102 operated by a user 104, acloud print service 106, a network scanner 108, and a cloud documentservice 110. User device 102 can be any device capable of the respectivefunctions described herein, for example such as a computer, smartphone,and the like. A cloud print service is a service that enables anapplication on a device in a network cloud to print to a printer in thenetwork cloud. Cloud print service 106 can be any cloud print servicecapable of the respective functions described herein, for example suchas the Google Cloud Print service and the like. Network scanner 108 canbe any device capable of the respective functions described herein, forexample such as commercially-available network scanners, multi-functionnetwork printers, and the like. A cloud document service is a servicethat enables an application on a device in a network cloud to transferfiles such as document files to and from a storage device in the networkcloud. Cloud document service 110 can be any cloud document servicecapable of the respective functions described herein, for example suchas such as the Google Docs service and the like. The elements of cloudscanning system 100 can communicate by any means, for example includingnetworks such as the Internet and the like.

FIG. 2 shows elements of a user device 102 according to one embodiment.Referring to FIG. 2, user device 102 includes a controller 202, a userinterface 204, and a network interface 206. Controller 202 can beimplemented as a processor or the like. User interface 204 includes oneor more input devices 208 such as touchscreens, trackballs, mice, rockerswitches, buttons, and the like, and one or more display devices 210such as screens, touchscreens, projectors and the like. Networkinterface 206 includes a transmitter 212 and a receiver 214. Networkinterface 206 can be wired, wireless, optical, or the like. In the caseof a wireless network, network interface 206 can be compliant with allor part of IEEE standard 802.11, including draft and approved amendmentssuch as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11i, 802.11k, 802.11n,802.11v, 802.11w, and 802.11z.

Now an example cloud scanning operation for cloud scanning system 100 ofFIG. 1 is described according to one embodiment. User 104 employs userdevice 102 to send a cloud scan request 112 to cloud print service 106.In particular, user 104 employs input device(s) 208 to input a user scanrequest 114 to user device 102. In response, controller 202 generates acloud scan request 116, and transmitter 212 transmits request 116 tocloud print service 106. In response, cloud print service 106 forwardsrequest 116 to network scanner 108.

FIG. 3 shows elements of a cloud scan request 116 according to oneembodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, cloud scan request 116 includes a printjob 302, a device ID 308 that identifies network scanner 108, and arequest 312 to transmit the resulting image file 118 to cloud documentservice 110. Print job 302 includes a print job title 314 and aninstruction file 304 containing instructions 306 for scanning one ormore documents. Instructions 306 include a file name 310 to be assignedto resulting image file 118, as well as other scanning instructions 318such as the desired scan resolution, the color mode, and the like. Printjob title 314 includes one or more tokens 316 that indicate print job302 is actually a scan job 302. Device ID 308 can include a networkaddress or the like for network scanner 108.

FIG. 4 shows detail of image file 118 according to one embodiment.Referring to FIG. 4, image file 118 includes one or more images 124 ofthe scanned document. Images 124 can be in any format. The format ofimages 124 can be specified by cloud scan request 116.

Referring again to FIG. 1, in response to cloud scan request 116,network scanner 108 scans one or more documents and transmits theresulting image file 118 to cloud document service 110. Network scanner108 also provides status 120 of the scan job 302 to cloud print service106, which forwards status 120 to user device 102. Referring to FIG. 2,receiver 214 of network interface 206 receives status 120. When status120 indicates scan job 302 is done, user device 102 issues a filerequest 122 to cloud document service 110. In particular, controller 202generates file request 122, for example in response to input from user104, and transmitter 212 transmits request 122 to cloud document service110.

FIG. 5 shows elements of a file request 122 according to one embodiment.Referring to FIG. 5, file request 122 includes the same file name 310used in cloud scan request 116. Referring again to FIG. 1, in responseto file request 122, cloud document service 110 transmits image file 118to user device 102, which can display image(s) 124 to user 104. Inparticular, receiver 214 of network interface 206 receives image file118, and display device(s) 210 display image(s) 124 to user 104.

FIG. 6 shows a process for cloud scanning system 100 of FIG. 1 accordingto one embodiment. Although in the described embodiments the elements ofthe process are presented in one arrangement, other embodiments mayfeature other arrangements. For example, in various embodiments, some orall of the elements of the process can be executed in a different order,concurrently, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 6, user 104 employs user device 102 to select a scanoperation at 602. In response, an application executing on controller202 of user device 102 gets a list of available scanners 108 registeredfor user 104 from cloud print service 106 at 604. The applicationdetermines which of the scanners 108 are capable of scanning, anddisplays a list of those scanners 108 to user 104 at 606. User 104employs user device 102 to select a network scanner 108 from the list at608. In response, user device 102 formats print job 302 at 610, andsubmits print job 302 to cloud print service 106 at 612.

Network scanner 108 polls for new print jobs 302 by fetching a list ofprint jobs 302 from cloud print service 106 at 614. When the listincludes a new print job 302 for network scanner 108, network scanner108 gets the new print job 302 from cloud print service 106 at 616. At618, network scanner 108 determines that the print job 302 is a scan job302 using the token(s) 316 in the print job title 314. Network scanner108 scans the document according to instructions 306 at 620, places theresulting image(s) 124 in an image file 118, assigns file name 310 tothe image file 118, and sends the image file 118 to cloud documentservice 110 at 622. At 624 network scanner 108 sends status 120 to cloudprint service 106 indicating that the scan job 302 is done.

User device 102 polls cloud print service 106 to obtain status 120. Inresponse to the status 120 indicating that the scan job 302 is done,user device 102 gets image file 118 from cloud document service 110using file name 310 at 628, and displays image(s) 124 to user 104 at630.

FIG. 7 shows elements of a cloud scanning system 700 that includes alegacy scanner and print proxy according to one embodiment. Referring toFIG. 7, cloud scanning system 700 includes a legacy scanner 708 and aprint proxy 712. A legacy scanner 708 is a scanner that requires a printproxy 712 to operate with a network. A print proxy 712 is a softwarecomponent, running on local computing resources, that enables legacyscanners, printers, multi-function printers, and the like, to operatewith a network. Legacy scanner 708 can be any device capable of therespective functions described herein, for example such ascommercially-available scanners, multi-function printers, and the like.The remaining elements of cloud scanning system 700, namely user device102, cloud print service 106, and cloud document service 110, can beimplemented and operated as described above.

Now an example cloud scanning operation for cloud scanning system 700 ofFIG. 7 is described according to one embodiment. User 104 employs userdevice 102 to send a cloud scan request 112 to cloud print service 106.In particular, user 104 employs input device(s) 208 to input a user scanrequest 114 to user device 102. In response, controller 202 generates acloud scan request 116, and transmitter 212 transmits request 116 tocloud print service 106. In response, cloud print service 106 forwardsrequest 116 to print proxy 712. Print proxy generates a legacy scanrequest 714 responsive to cloud scan request 116, and sends request 714to legacy scanner 708. Legacy scan request 714 can be implemented as aconventional scan request such as a scan request sent by a personalcomputer to a local scanner or the like.

In response to legacy scan request 714, legacy scanner 708 scans the oneor more documents and transmits the resulting image file 118 to printproxy 712, which forwards image file 118 to cloud document service 110.Print proxy 712 also provides status 120 of the scan job 302 to cloudprint service 106, which forwards status 120 to user device 102.Referring to FIG. 2, receiver 214 of network interface 206 receivesstatus 120. When status 120 indicates the scan job 302 is done, userdevice 102 issues a file request 122 to cloud document service 110. Inparticular, controller 202 generates file request 122, for example inresponse to input from user 104, and transmitter 212 transmits request122 to cloud document service 110.

FIG. 8 shows a process for cloud scanning system 700 of FIG. 7 accordingto one embodiment. Although in the described embodiments the elements ofthe process are presented in one arrangement, other embodiments mayfeature other arrangements. For example, in various embodiments, some orall of the elements of the process can be executed in a different order,concurrently, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 8, user 104 employs user device 102 to select a scanoperation at 802. In response, an application executing on controller202 of user device 102 gets a list of available scanners 108 registeredfor user 104 from cloud print service 106 at 804. The applicationdetermines which of the scanners 108 are capable of scanning, anddisplays a list of those scanners 108 to user 104 at 806. In thisembodiment, the list includes at least one legacy scanner 708 and printproxy 712. User 104 employs user device 102 to select a legacy scanner708 from the list at 808. In response, user device 102 formats print job302 at 810, and submits print job 302 to cloud print service 106 at 812.

Print proxy 712 polls for new print jobs 302 by fetching a list of printjobs 302 from cloud print service 106 at 814. When the list includes anew print job 302 for legacy scanner 708, print proxy 712 gets the newprint job 302 from cloud print service 106 at 816. At 818, print proxy712 determines that the print job 302 is a scan job 302 using thetoken(s) 316 in the print job title 314. Print proxy 712 then causeslegacy scanner 708 to scan the document according to instructions 306 at820, places the resulting image(s) 124 in an image file 118, assignsfile name 310 to the image file 118, and sends the image file 118 tocloud document service 110 at 822. At 824 print proxy 712 sends a status120 to cloud print service 106 indicating that the scan job 302 is done.

User device 102 polls cloud print service 106 to obtain status 120. Inresponse to the status 120 indicating that the scan job 302 is done,user device 102 gets image file 118 from cloud document service 110using file name 310 at 828, and displays image(s) 124 to user 104 at830.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented indigital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware,software, or in combinations thereof. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure can be implemented in a computer program product tangiblyembodied in a computer-readable storage device for execution by aprogrammable processor. The described processes can be performed by aprogrammable processor executing a program of instructions to performfunctions by operating on input data and generating output. Embodimentsof the present disclosure can be implemented in one or more computerprograms that are executable on a programmable system including at leastone programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructionsfrom, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system,at least one input device, and at least one output device. Each computerprogram can be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-orientedprogramming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; andin any case, the language can be a compiled or interpreted language.Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general and specialpurpose microprocessors. Generally, processors receive instructions anddata from a read-only memory and/or a random access memory. Generally, acomputer includes one or more mass storage devices for storing datafiles. Such devices include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disksand removable disks, magneto-optical disks; optical disks, andsolid-state disks. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodyingcomputer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatilememory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, suchas EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such asinternal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; andCD-ROM disks. Any of the foregoing can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits).

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, variousmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of thedisclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a service device; a documentdevice; a network device comprising a controller configured to generatea first request, wherein the first request initiates, via a cloud,scanning of a document via a scanner, wherein the cloud comprises theservice device and the document device, wherein the service device isseparate from the document device, wherein the first request includes afile name, and wherein the file name is assigned to an image file, atransmitter configured to (i) prior to the scanner scanning thedocument, transmit the first request from the network device to theservice device, and (ii) poll the service device to obtain a statusupdate for the first request, and a receiver; and a print deviceseparate from the service device and the scanner, wherein the servicedevice is configured to (i) select the scanner, and (ii) in response tothe first request, send a second request to the print device, whereinthe second request requests scanning of the document by the scanner, theprint device is configured to generate a third request in response tothe second request, wherein the third request requests scanning of thedocument by the scanner, the receiver is configured to, based on thefirst request received at the service device and subsequent to thescanner scanning the document, receive an image file transmitted fromthe document device to the network device without prior transmission ofthe image file from the document device to the service device, whereinthe image file includes an image of the document, the receiver isconfigured to, based on the first request received at the service deviceand subsequent to the scanner scanning the document, receive the statusupdate from the service device, wherein the status update indicates thescanning of the document is completed, and the transmitter is configuredto, subsequent to the receiver receiving the status update, transmit afourth request to the document device, wherein the fourth requestrequests the image file by the file name.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the controller is configured to: select the scanner, wherein thescanner is connected to the service device; transmit, via the servicedevice, the first request to the scanner or the print device; and theprint device is separate from and connected to the scanner.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein: the first request includes a token and aninstruction file; the token indicates the first request is a scan job;and the instruction file includes instructions for scanning thedocument.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second request requestsfor the image file to be transmitted from the document device to thenetwork device.
 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising thescanner.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein: the service device isseparate from the scanner; and the document device is separate from thescanner.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the service device isconfigured to, based on the first request, enable an application on thescanner to print.
 8. The system of claim 5, wherein: the document deviceis configured to enable an application to transfer files, including theimage file, to and from a storage device; and the storage device is inthe cloud.
 9. The system of claim 5, wherein the scanner is configuredto scan the document in response to the fourth request.
 10. A method forreceiving an image file from a cloud at a network device, wherein thecloud includes a service device and a document device, and wherein theservice device is separate from the document device, the methodcomprising: generating a first request at the network device, whereinthe first request initiates, via the cloud, scanning of a document via ascanner; prior to the scanner scanning the document, transmitting, via atransmitter, the first request from the network device to the servicedevice; based on the first request, generating a job list via theservice device; at a print device, receiving the job list andidentifying the first request as a new scan job, wherein the printdevice is separate from the service device, the scanner, and thedocument device: transmitting a scan signal from the print device to thescanner to scan the document, wherein the scan signal requests scanningof the document; subsequent to the document being scanned by thescanner, receiving the image file from the scanner at the print device;subsequent to the image file being forwarded to the print device,forwarding the image file from the print device to the document device;based on the first request received at the service device and subsequentto the scanner scanning the document, receiving, via a receiver, theimage file transmitted from the document device to the network devicewithout prior transmission of the image file from the document device tothe service device, wherein the image file includes an image of thedocument; transmitting a first status signal from the print device tothe service device indicating the scanning of the document is complete;in response to the first status signal, transmitting a second statussignal from the service device to the network device indicating thescanning of the document is complete; and in response to the secondstatus signal, transmitting a file name for the image file from thenetwork device to the document device to request transfer of the imagefrom the document device to the network device.
 11. The method of claim10, further comprising: polling the service device to obtain a statusupdate for the first request at the network device, wherein the firstrequest includes the file name, wherein the file name is assigned to theimage file, and wherein the second status signal includes the statusupdate; based on the first request received at the service device andsubsequent to the scanner scanning the document, receiving the statusupdate from the service device at the network device, wherein the statusupdate indicates the scanning of the document is completed; andsubsequent to the receiver receiving the status update, transmitting asecond request to the document device, wherein the second requestrequests the image file by the file name.
 12. The method of claim 10,further comprising transmitting a file request from the network deviceto the document device, wherein: the first request includes (i) the filename for the image file, and (ii) a second request to transmit the imagefile to the document device; and the file request includes (i) the filename for the image file, and (ii) a third request to send the image fileto the network device.
 13. A system comprising: a service deviceimplemented in a cloud, wherein the service device is configured toreceive a first request from a network device, wherein the first requestinitiates, via the cloud, scanning of a document via a scanner, andwherein the service device is configured to (i) receive the firstrequest prior to the scanner scanning the document, and (ii) based onthe first request, generate a job list; a print device configured toreceive the job list, identify the first request as a new scan job,transmit a scan signal from the print device to the scanner, wherein thescan signal requests scanning of the document, and subsequent to thedocument being scanned by the scanner, (i) receiving an image file fromthe scanner as a result of the scanner scanning the document, and (ii)transmitting a first status signal from the print device to the servicedevice indicating the scanning of the document is complete; and adocument device implemented in the cloud, wherein the document device isseparate from the service device, and wherein the document device isconfigured to, based on the first request received at the servicedevice, (i) subsequent to the image file being forwarded to the printdevice, receive the image file from the print device, and (ii) transmitthe image file to the network device without previously transmitting theimage file to the service device, wherein the image file includes animage of the document, wherein the print device is separate from theservice device, the scanner, and the document device, the service deviceis configured to, in response to the first status signal, transmit asecond status signal from the service device to the network deviceindicating the scanning of the document is complete, and the documentdevice is configured to, based on the second status signal, receive afile name for the image file from the network device, and wherein thesecond status signal requests transfer of the image from the documentdevice to the network device.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein: thefirst request includes the file name; the file name is assigned to theimage file; the service device is configured to, based on the firstrequest, subsequent to the scanner scanning the document, and inresponse to being polled by the network device, transmit a status updatefor the first request to the network device, wherein the second statussignal includes the status update; the status update indicates thescanning of the document is completed; the document device is configuredto, subsequent to the service device transmitting the status update tothe network device, receive a second request from the network device;and the second request requests the image file by the file name.
 15. Thesystem of claim 14, further comprising the scanner, wherein the scanneris configured to, based on the first request, (i) scan the document togenerate the image file, and (ii) assign the file name to the imagefile.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein: the service device isseparate from the scanner; and the document device is separate from thescanner.